Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

Hello everyone, I truly hate to bad mouth anyone so I am not putting the vendor name here yet, but am asking for feedback please.

I bid on 2 costumes, from the same vendor on ebay, paid for them and have received. One was a Joharah and is lovely. The other stated pre-owned with good descriptions and measurements but a somewhat misleading photo, as pics on line can sometimes be.This part is not the vendors fault.

This particular costume is a very unusual style and colors, ones that I have never had the chance to try on my body. I knew I was taking a chance but did so only because her ebay clearly stated...returns with money back accepted within 7 days of receiving. This statement being posted there is the only reason I bid on it in the first place.

I wrote to the vendor asking for address and return procedure within a day of receiving. She wrote back saying that she does not take back returns on pre-owned costumes, even though she can see and admits that it was written on the page for selling this costume that she doesaccept returns. She told me that a costume not fitting or suiting me is not a good reason to return anyway (then what would be a good reason, I wonder?)

We have been back and forth a few times and she still refuses to accept it back or offer an exchange costume. I told her I would have to give her negative feedback and she accused me of being very unprofessional.

It was not expensive, under $200, but still alot of money to me for this. She says I should repost on ebay, here or try to sell to a student, but this is not the point and I don't feel I should have to do this when her advertising said I could return. She finally sent me her phone number and said I could call her but that she still will not take a return....

There is a principal here and I am frustrated...what do you think I should do?
thanx for you help,
Rafi'ah,m::

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

That is really not cool. First, I'm selfishly glad that it wasn't an issue like, say, there was something really wrong with the costume, like it fell apart or something, because I'm selling one of hers right now. But to the point - even if she was careless about copying and pasting the terms from listing to listing and forgot to change it for the "pre-owned" costume, she should stand by the terms listed and give you a refund. If she made a mistake in listing the terms, and you based your decision to buy on those terms, she should stand by what was posted, IMHO. I think you should take it up with Ebay or with Paypal.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

thank you ladies....

and Tanya, i did copy the original ebay page immediately with the posting about returns and have saved it in case the listing is taken off. It is still on ebay at the moment. She said she tried to change it after wrote to her but ebay wouldn't allow....duhhhh..

I even send her the page back and underlined where she stated she accepted returns...I guess I will go the route you have suggested. Pity that she did this to herself since I think she has other Joharahs to sell..

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

Her error is her's..not yours. No need to pay for someone elses mistakes. I have bought a watersoftener or 2 in my day! Having listed it as included with a house sale..and then...no softner (whoopsie!!)
That is a $1000 mistake....

If you dont get a satisfactory agreement about a return/refund within 24 hours, tell her you will take appropriate action and out her as well.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

thing is, it is now 6 days since I was out of town teaching for 3 but wrote to her 4 times last week after receiving it. she only responded yesterday when I threatened with negative feedback and posting here on bhuz.

I am concerned about just mailing it back without her consent because she can always say she didn't get it or refuse to sign for it....

I can post the link to the ebay page on the costume if anyone would like to look at it, but the principal here is what matters to me and if I just re-sell, then she gets away with something that I think is unfair..

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

Don't send it to her yourself.
Open the paypal dispute TODAY! You have a limited window to do this (45 days from original paypal transaction.)
Once the dispute is open you have 20 days to escalate. Stay on top of this issue. Paypal will freeze the funds you sent her unless she has already spent them. This is her incentive to fix what happened.
If you can't resolve the situation without paypal's assistance escalate the claim, remember 20 DAYS from original dispute date.
Take photos of the costume, take photos of the problems save your ebay listing. Print all the emails you have sent back and forth.

It is also worth mentioning that if you escalate the claim you will mail the costume to paypal who will then mail it to the seller, they make sure that the seller recieves the item back it is not your problem to do this.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

Amen, but it's not too overwhelming to open a dispute. And since Ebay changed it's policies you won't take a hit on your rating.

Also it's really effing fishy that she took down the listing. She knows she did wrong and that will work in your favor.

I totally agree that she should pay the refund and accept the return. I"m also pretty sure that once something has sold the listing automatically comes down after a couple of weeks, so that part is probably not fishy. I bought something from her at around the same time and that listing is gone too, although there was no dispute in that case.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

It's really too bad that she's digging in her heels on this. It's very short-sighted when you think of how many customers will be turned off since the word goes out like wildfire on Bhuz. Think of how many fans she could have had among Bhuzzers, selling these lovely Joharahs at such great prices. She blew it.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

She did blow it and its unfortunate since I actually bought the Joharah costume on ebay at the same time from her at close to $400...just had to have bright purple and a great cut...so for her to be so stubborn about this, like you said, to dig her heels in for this one is not a smart move.

I am tempted to call her since she sent her number yesterday but still said she won't take it back. I don't feel like arguing but am a softy, I guess. Would like to give her one more chance before blasting her and ruining her business, which I will do, if thats what it takes.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

Yes - and I feel bad because I was trying to be nice and pass the "good word" about my experience with her, and now I feel let down. BTW I just was able to get to the original listing for the one I bought through my "Items won" list on My Ebay, if that's helpful to you.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

and, while we are on the subject, I have a Johara that is incredibly well made and lovely.

However, his purple one that I purchased from the same ebay seller woman I am having the issue with, I wore on sat. for the first time. Both hooks were bent before I got to dance in it, halter and back bra so I had to pin it together last minute, a bunch of the beads and a couple rhinestones came off of the lycra embroidery in one show, the back of the bra design with the elastic will have to be redone to stay together well. So, I was surprised but on the other hand, it is lovely so am willing to do some repair work on it and wouldn't have complained, but was surprised. Could have been a fluke??? but was supposed to be brand new and never worn.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

I wonder if a little phone diplomacy might help, like you say. She was very nice and grateful when I wrote to her that I'd pass the word about her on Bhuz, so maybe appealing to her with the bigger picture might get around the defensive posture. Worth a try if you have the patience.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

Originally Posted by Rafiah

and, while we are on the subject, I have a Johara that is incredibly well made and lovely.

However, his purple one that I purchased from the same ebay seller woman I am having the issue with, I wore on sat. for the first time. Both hooks were bent before I got to dance in it, halter and back bra so I had to pin it together last minute, a bunch of the beads and a couple rhinestones came off of the lycra embroidery in one show, the back of the bra design with the elastic will have to be redone to stay together well. So, I was surprised but on the other hand, it is lovely so am willing to do some repair work on it and wouldn't have complained, but was surprised. Could have been a fluke??? but was supposed to be brand new and never worn.

Arrgh! I also have another Joharah that I love. Do you think this is a faux Joharah? The one I bought from her came in a Joharah bag, but had no label - didn't think much of it at the time. Does yours have a label? BTW I'm responding to two posts ago cause my internet keeps going out.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

If you are not sure if it's really a Joharah I would take a pic and email Johara herself. I'm sure she'd want to know if somone was knocking off her costumes or selling shoddy merch while using her name.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

Thanks - that's useful to know. I've revised my swap listing to include all I know and a link to this thread, but will probably end up putting in a bunch of work in on it to make it work for my size. It is really pretty, pedigree or not.

Re: Please help me out with some opinions/suggestions..

I wouldn't worry about selling the silver if its pretty...2 separate issues here...but I wouldn't promote any further stuff of hers. ..about calling her and needing patience, don't feel that patient at the moment so will sleep on it one more night and then decide how to deal with it in the morning.
thanx for your help everyone.